On 19 April 2012, Brazil made a contribution to the World Food Programs efforts in Sri Lanka to assist with resettlement in the northern part of the country. The donation consisted of 3,000 metric tons of rice and 800 tons of beans.

This donation was part of Brazil's new foreign policy and food security programs generated by its Centre of Excellence Against Hunger headquartered in Brasilia. This was created to assist governments in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It draws on Brazilian expertise in fighting against hunger, especially in regards to sustainable school feeding models and other food and nutrition safety programs. Brazil has become an important new donor to the WFP. It has contributed over US$118 million since 2007. In the international arena, Brazilian leadership on food security is spearheaded by the José Graziano da Silva, director-general elect of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

According to the WFP’s Country Representative in Sri Lanka, Adnan Khan, Brazil's donation was especially welcome. It would be given to "many resettled groups in the north - such as the elderly, disabled, widows and households headed by women - [who] still require assistance to help meet their food and nutritional needs.” He applauded Brazil for its "commitment to supporting innovative efforts aimed at securing long-term food security."